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(Bi-)Weekly Q&A — 5/26/13

Q: What is the status on Eddie Vanderdoes and what’s taking so long? Will he have to sit a year?

Eddie Vanderdoes clearly wants to leave Notre Dame, and will likely end up at UCLA eventually. Since he signed a national letter of intent, he can’t play anywhere other than South Bend next season unless Notre Dame releases him. So far, the Irish have not done so. Vanderdoes can also appeal the NLI committee for a release. If that’s successful, he can play immediately anywhere.

If not, he can break his NLI and enroll elsewhere but lose a season of eligibility — ending up with four years to play three once you consider a possible redshirt year. That does not ban him from receiving a scholarship or practicing with his new team.

Q: So are we done with getting recruits or players for next year, or is coach Steve Alford just focusing on the 2014 class. Do we have any news on JUCO transfers?

Unless something unexpected happens, recruiting appears to be done for 2013. Alford said a few weeks ago that JUCO transfers were not a priority.

Q: How is Tony Parker developing? Does it appear he might be able to start at center next year?

Almost all accounts are positive, with better conditioning being the main focus early on. I think there’s still a lot of work for him to do to secure a starting spot by the season opener, but he has plenty of time until then.

Q: For basketball specifically, what is the deal with “access” to players and players being “made available” for interviews. Can’t you, as an enterprising reporter, interview them at Ackerman Union, in the dorm, via cell phone, through Twitter or some other means?

The media relations department doesn’t like it, but yes, reporters can technically do all of that. (Going in the dorm would require some sort of UCLA ID, but anyone could sit outside all day and wait for an athlete.)

Ok , then there should be no mor ecomplaining about not getting “access” to players!

CrouchingBruin

Unless you want to stay on the good side of media relations as well as the player. What if a player complains about a reporter “stalking” or otherwise harassing them for information? I don’t think players want reporters constantly calling them, texting them, or laying in wait outside their dorms. These are students, and deserve to live their student lives away from the eyes of the media. I don’t see anything wrong with limiting access to set times, like after practice or a game.

Mark

It’s certainly up to the reporter to use good judgement. A good reporter wouldn’t be stalking anyway–he or she would build a genuine rapport. My issue is that true inside information on basketball has been really scarce the past few years, and both Dohn and Gold always just threw up their hands and said the players weren’t “available.” Well, I don’t think that’s much of an excuse!

CrouchingBruin

I think if media relations, or even a coach, found out that a reporter was contacting players outside the standard protocol, that reporter would be (or could be) banned from practices and/or press conferences. I don’t think that’s something a good reporter would want to put at risk just for some extra bits of information.

Meta

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